Conservation Deal Protects 8,000 Acres Near Okefenokee From Mining
The Conservation Fund purchases critical acres from Twin Pines
June 2025 Update: A fog has been lifted from the Okefenokee Swamp. This week, The Conservation Fund finalized a deal to purchase approximately 8,000 acres near the southeastern boundary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Those acres, located on nearby Trail Ridge, were under threat of heavy mineral mining by Alabama-based Twin Pines, LLC. With this historic conservation deal, advocates and local champions of the Swamp can celebrate the permanent protection of a critical area of Trail Ridge, a geologic feature that supports the ecological integrity of the Okefenokee.
The 8,000 acres on Trail Ridge, which are home to upland pine forests and wetlands, will be permanently conserved and managed for public access, with its eventual addition to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge as a long-term goal.
Georgia Conservancy thanks and congratulates our partners at The Conservation Fund and the private funders who generously made this historic deal possible. Tremendous amounts of time and resources from various individuals and groups went into reaching this key moment.
Public concerns and outcry over the proposed mining project, along with continued engagement with lawmakers, have been successful, allowing for this week’s momentous deal to occur.
“Conservation is often complex, requiring the time and efforts of many dedicated individuals and organizations,” says Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns. “For decades, Georgia Conservancy has been unwavering in their commitment to delivering some of our state’s most significant conservation successes, and today’s news about the Okefenokee Swamp is a testament to the determination of balanced, principled conservation efforts. I appreciate the dedicated advocacy of the Conservancy that played an instrumental role in making this deal a reality and protecting the Okefenokee for future generations of Georgians to enjoy.”
It's been six years since word got out that Alabama-based Twin Pines, LLC was seeking to mine for heavy minerals on Trail Ridge. The slow process, however, gathered intensity last spring, as the proposed project took center stage in several arenas – the State Capitol during the 2024 Legislative Session and in a Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) public comment period.
After Georgia EPD issued draft mining permits in February 2024, Georgia Conservancy, along with tens of thousands of concerned citizens and dozens of conservation organizations, submitted formal comments to the agency, urging them to deny the final mining permits and reject Twin Pines Mining Land Use Plan.
Concurrently, Georgia Conservancy led the effort at the State Capitol to pass legislation that would have placed a moratorium on additional Twin Pines mining permits. That effort, Senate Bill 132, overwhelmingly passed the House but did not come up for a vote in the Senate before the end of the 2024 session.
“Throughout Georgia’s history, many of our greatest conservation successes have been won through a series of long-fought victories – from Cumberland Island National Seashore to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area,” says Georgia Conservancy President Katherine Moore. “The establishment of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in the 1930s was no different, and the protection of this critical area of Trail Ridge by The Conservation Fund continues to underscore the intricacy of conservation deals, which require time, trust, funding, and a multitude of partners.”
Thank you to our supporters and donors who have helped to facilitate this incredible conservation opportunity, as well as our many partner organizations that have collaborated on public engagement and outreach to protect the Okefenokee. Your unwavering and vocal support of the Okefenokee Swamp led to this outcome!
About the Georgia Conservancy:
Founded in 1967, the Georgia Conservancy’s mission is to protect Georgia through ecological and economic solutions for stewardship, conservation and sustainable use of the land and its resources.
www.georgiaconservancy.org
